Lawmakers continue to debate water quality bills before lawmakers adjourn

Posted:
Thursday, April 20, 2017 8:30 PM EDT

DES MOINES, IA (KTIV) -

Separate bills that would fund water quality initiatives remain alive in the Iowa Legislature.

John Torbert, Executive Director of the Iowa Drainage District Association, told the Dickinson County Board of Supervisors Tuesday bills have been introduced in both the House and Senate. "They take a little bit of a different approach to how they're going to come up with the funding," Torbert said. "I think both bills have an excise tax on water bills which would go into this revenue pool. On top of that the Senate bill, for example, transfers some money from a fund that derives money from gambling revenue, so they're both getting at this from slightly different ways."

Torbert says it's estimated the House version of the bill would generate anywhere from $5-million to $22-million while the Senate measure would result in about $50-million in funding.

Lawmakers are hoping to conclude the session within the next week or two.